]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/07/23/my-mariashriver-com-architect-of-change-essay-the-power-to-transform-feelings-of-hate-into-love-is-yours/feed/0My One-On-One with “A Seeking Heart” on Real Life Radiohttp://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/27/my-one-on-one-with-a-seeking-heart-on-real-life-radio/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/27/my-one-on-one-with-a-seeking-heart-on-real-life-radio/#commentsSat, 27 Jun 2015 18:45:54 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=2067A Seeking Heart host Allison Gingras and I chat about the power of forgiveness, finding solitude, compassion, life’s undone stitches, and many more of the lessons I learned from Sister Augustine in Five Years in Heaven. To listen, click HERE.

]]>A Seeking Heart host Allison Gingras and I chat about the power of forgiveness, finding solitude, compassion, life’s undone stitches, and many more of the lessons I learned from Sister Augustine in Five Years in Heaven.

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/27/my-one-on-one-with-a-seeking-heart-on-real-life-radio/feed/0The Art of Sister Augustinehttp://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/24/the-art-of-sister-augustine/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/24/the-art-of-sister-augustine/#commentsThu, 25 Jun 2015 02:55:22 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=2033Introduction to The Art of Sister Augustine As Depicted in Five Years in Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions During her more than 40-year career as a self-taught artist, Sister Augustine completed thousands of clayware art pieces, often with her furry calico pal Blitzen nearby. Into her nineties, she worked full-time six […]

As Depicted in

Five Years in Heaven: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions

During her more than 40-year career as a self-taught artist, Sister Augustine completed thousands of clayware art pieces, often with her furry calico pal Blitzen nearby. Into her nineties, she worked full-time six days a week in her small ceramics studio and shop, pouring the molds, firing the greenware (which was always accompanied with a sprinkling of Holy Water and prayer to Saint Francis), and then painting or glazing the bisqueware. Following a career in education, Sister opened St. Joseph Ceramics in 1964 on the grounds of the oldest Benedictine convent in the U.S., St. Joseph Monastery (founded in 1852) in St. Marys, PA.

Sister Augustine was a prolific artist who could easily transition between realism, folk art, primitive, and abstract, depending on what she was creating. A pillar of humility, Sister often downplayed her talent, saying, “This is God’s work. It’s His hand that guides mine.”

Sister had always been known for her Nativity sets, which can be found in every state in the U.S., as well as in Japan, England, and Germany. Likewise, her other pieces were collected in places as far away as Central America, Africa, and even Russia.

A newfound notoriety during the final five years of Sister Augustine’s life, as depicted in Five Years in Heaven, presented a dramatic uptick in popularity for both the artist herself and several of her signature pieces. Front page headlines heralded her comeback into the hearts of new fans everywhere: ST. MARYS NUN’S CERAMIC ART KNOWN WORLDWIDE; SISTER CRAFTS HER OWN NICHE; 90-YEAR-OLD NUN CREATES ART FROM CLAY.

Among Sister’s most collectible pieces were her miniature crosses made from leftover clay, which are depicted in Chapter 6: Tiny Crosses. Also, her simple forget-me-not motif, which is the subject of Chapter 4: Forget-Me-Not, can be found on everything from teacups and saucers, crosses, and dinnerware to Easter eggs and statues of the Blessed Mother.

However, of the extensive body of work Sister Augustine sent into the world, her most celebrated series was the Gussie’s Special. The abstract bowls and vases bearing this title, which was inspired by her nickname among the other sisters at St. Joseph’s, were created mainly by Sister cleaning her brushes off on white bisqueware while painting other items. Each rippled bowl and vase was an allegory—clay and paint radiating something much greater than art supplies—a vibrant nod to the “treasure in earthen vessels” that the apostle Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 4:7. During the last five years of her life, Sister Augustine created nearly 500 Gussie’s Specials, making them her magnum opus.

The following exhibit of Sister Augustine’s work is comprised of selected pieces from my personal collection.

ENJOY…

The Art of Sister Augustine

Gussie’s Specials

(Depicted throughout Five Years in Heaven)

Forget-Me-Nots

(Depicted in Chapter 4: Forget-Me-Not)

Tiny Crosses

(Depicted in Chapter 6: Tiny Crosses)

The Blessed Mother

(Depicted throughout Five Years in Heaven, including Chapter 14: Our Lady of Love, which is based on the title Sister Augustine gave to the second statue shown below.)

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/23/my-mariashriver-com-architect-of-change-essay-from-whom-much-is-taken-much-is-also-expected/feed/0Hope, Purpose, & Joy are the Focus of My “Christopher Closeup” Interviewhttp://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/23/hope-purpose-joy-are-the-focus-of-my-christopher-closeup-interview/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/23/hope-purpose-joy-are-the-focus-of-my-christopher-closeup-interview/#commentsTue, 23 Jun 2015 15:54:16 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=1999I had the pleasure of sitting down with Tony Rossi, host of Christopher Closeup at Patheos.com. We discussed the messages of hope, purpose, and joy embodied in the story of Five Years in Heaven. To read excerpts from the interview or to listen to the full interview, please click HERE.

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/23/hope-purpose-joy-are-the-focus-of-my-christopher-closeup-interview/feed/0“Five Years in Heaven” Has Become a Fun & Inspiring New Canvas For Me…http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/05/five-years-in-heaven-has-become-a-fun-inspiring-new-canvas-for-me/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/05/five-years-in-heaven-has-become-a-fun-inspiring-new-canvas-for-me/#commentsFri, 05 Jun 2015 15:32:23 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=1984It’s been such a pleasure to not only share the story told within the pages of FIVE YEARS IN HEAVEN: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions, but to also use my hand-drawn inscriptions as one more way to inspire and connect with readers everywhere. I’ve been honored and humbled to be able to send a […]

]]>It’s been such a pleasure to not only share the story told within the pages of FIVE YEARS IN HEAVEN: The Unlikely Friendship That Answered Life’s Greatest Questions, but to also use my hand-drawn inscriptions as one more way to inspire and connect with readers everywhere. I’ve been honored and humbled to be able to send a few hundred more guardian angels, hearts, stars, forget-me-nots (inspired by “Chapter 4: Forget-Me-Not”), and even Blitzen’s paw print (in honor of Sister Augustine’s calico co-star) out into the world.

There have even been special and very touching requests, such as the grandma from Iowa who asked me to draw a hummingbird in the book for her daughter whose 8-year-old son passed away from cancer. And a black and blue butterfly inscription that fondly reminds a woman of her late husband.

Below is a sampling of the inscriptions so far.

To order a copy of FIVE YEARS IN HEAVENwith a hand-drawn inscription, please call the Benedictine Gift Shop in St. Marys, PA, at 814-834-1353. They will ship anywhere in the U.S.

If you already have FIVE YEARS IN HEAVEN and would like me to inscribe it, or you would like a signed bookplate for it, please send the book or request to me (with a S.A.S.E.) at: John Schlimm, 479 Brusselles Street, St. Marys, PA 15857.

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/05/five-years-in-heaven-has-become-a-fun-inspiring-new-canvas-for-me/feed/0Cat Lovers Everywhere Are Falling in Love With “Five Years in Heaven’s” Calico Co-Starhttp://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/01/cat-lovers-everywhere-are-falling-in-love-with-five-years-in-heavens-calico-co-star/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/01/cat-lovers-everywhere-are-falling-in-love-with-five-years-in-heavens-calico-co-star/#commentsMon, 01 Jun 2015 20:56:51 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=1969SO FUN to see how cat lovers everywhere are falling in love with Sister Augustine’s mischievous calico co-star Blitzen in Five Years in Heaven! Checkout the purrrr-fect review by The Conscious Cat blog by clicking HERE. Also, download this special “Blitzen Bookplate” I designed just for all you cat lovers! (BTW, if you’re a dog lover, […]

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/06/01/cat-lovers-everywhere-are-falling-in-love-with-five-years-in-heavens-calico-co-star/feed/0The Hummingbird in “Five Years in Heaven”…http://johnschlimm.com/2015/05/28/the-hummingbird-in-five-years-in-heaven/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/05/28/the-hummingbird-in-five-years-in-heaven/#commentsThu, 28 May 2015 14:50:40 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=1965THIS… makes my heart sing and humbles me! A grandma in Iowa sent me my book and asked me to inscribe it with a hummingbird for her daughter, whose 8-year-old son passed away from cancer. I never drew a hummingbird before, but since Sister Augustine’s favorite things to create were birds and animals, I let […]

]]>THIS… makes my heart sing and humbles me! A grandma in Iowa sent me my book and asked me to inscribe it with a hummingbird for her daughter, whose 8-year-old son passed away from cancer. I never drew a hummingbird before, but since Sister Augustine’s favorite things to create were birds and animals, I let her guide my hand.

]]>http://johnschlimm.com/2015/05/26/diy-heaven-on-earth-necklace/feed/0“Catholic Moments” Show Host: “Five Years in Heaven” is a “Movement”http://johnschlimm.com/2015/05/26/catholic-moments-show-host-five-years-in-heaven-is-a-movement/
http://johnschlimm.com/2015/05/26/catholic-moments-show-host-five-years-in-heaven-is-a-movement/#commentsTue, 26 May 2015 19:57:03 +0000http://johnschlimm.com/?p=1959“This is more than a book . . . you’re creating a movement. Five Years in Heaven is part of a life-changing experience for each of us readers.” ~ Lisa Hendey, Host of Catholic Moments To listen to the full radio interview (I’m the second guest), please click HERE.